The OpenOrbiter I spacecraft is the culmination of significant work on reducing the cost levels of a CubeSat-class spacecraft. By redesigning the spacecraft from the ground up, down to the component level, to use readily available electronic and physical components, the cost of CubeSat construction has been significantly reduced. This paper provides an overview of the OpenOrbiter I mission, to date. It then focuses on the benefits that can be provided by the lower-cost, low-risk spacecraft. The paper discusses the prospective utility of this mission paradigm for the defense, homeland security and intelligence communities.

Date Published: 23 May 2017
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 10196, Sensors and Systems for Space Applications X, 101960H (23 May 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2264113

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10196:
Sensors and Systems for Space Applications X
Khanh D. Pham; Genshe Chen, Editor(s)